CHICAGO--Former Arizona Wildcat Lance Briggs has one more game on the schedule in his 2006 All-Pro NFL season, and it's a big one -- in the Super Bowl in two weeks.

Briggs, a linebacker for the Chicago Bears, who will face the Indianapolis Colts in Super Bowl XLI Feb. 4 in Miami.

Briggs finished his second consecutive Pro Bowl season with a career-high 176 tackles, breaking his mark of 170 tackles set last season. Briggs eclipsed the 100-tackle plateau for the third consecutive season. His season high was 16 hits in Glendale on Oct. 16 against the Arizona Cardinals.

The Bears beat the New Orleans Saints, 39-14, Sunday here at Soldier Field to earn their first Super Bowl berth since the 1985 Bears won the NFL title with a victory over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XX. The Patriots -- with former UA defensive end Tedy Bruschi at middle linebacker -- lost a narrow decision to Indianapolis Sunday and just missed earning Bruschi a fifth Super Bowl appearance.

UA Sports Hall of Famer Glenn Parker leads former Wildcats with five total Super Bowl appearances, four with the Buffalo Bills and one with the New York Giants as an offensive lineman.

The Bears limited the Saints rushing attack to 56 net yards in Sunday's NFC Championship, and Briggs helped provide the pass pressure on a key play when New Orleans quarterback Brew Brees was called for intentional grounding, resulting in a second-half safety that turned the momentum in the Bears' favor. He finished with five tackles.

Briggs is the latest of five Arizona players to earn first-team All-Pac-10 honors three seasons, making the team in 2000, 2001 and 2002 as a linebacker after spending his true freshman year as a fullback. The other three-time, first-team all-league honorees from Arizona were linebacker Ricky Hunley (1981-83), center Joe Tofflemire (1986-88), Bruschi (1993-95) and cornerback Chris McAlister (1996-98).

Note... Former UA defensive end Copeland Bryan (2002-05) is on the Bears' practice squad this year as a rookie free-agent...